If you add three more bases, it will be a new history of Korean major leaguers.
Bae Ji-hwan played as the eighth batter and second baseman in an away game against the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2023 Major 안전놀이터순위 League Baseball at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on the 17th (Korea Standard Time). He failed to produce a hit on the day, but showed off his batting eye and got on base. Bae Ji-hwan scored two at-bats, two walks, one point, and one stolen base.
Bae Ji-hwan hit 20 steals in the sixth inning. He fought a persistent fight with opposing starter Julio Teheran and got a walk after a neck-and-neck race of nine pitches. And Bae Ji-hwan’s instinct to steal was exercised. He stole second base during the follow-up batter Austin Hedges’ at-bat. Opposition catcher William Contreras quickly threw the ball, but it was not enough to catch Bae Ji-hwan. Bae Ji-hwan occupied the high ground of 20 steals this season.
Choo Shin-soo is the only Korean major leaguer to have 20 steals so far. Choo Shin-soo stole the bases more than 20 times in 2009 (21 steals), 2010 (22 steals), 2012 (21 steals), and 2013 (20 steals). Kim Ha-sung, who currently plays for the San Diego Padres in the Major League, also has a record of 12 steals in 2022.
Now Bae Ji-hwan is set to break the Korean major leaguer record. If he adds three more stolen bases, he will surpass Choo Shin-soo. In fact, it is only a matter of time before Bae Ji-hwan becomes the main character of the new history. If Bae Ji-hwan maintains his pace, he is expected to record more than 40 steals this season.
Bae Ji-hwan is dominating the Major League with his fast feet. As of the 17th, Bae Ji-hwan ranked second overall in the National League stolen base category. The first place is Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves with 30 steals. He was ranked fifth overall in the Major League. As such, Bae Ji-hwan is continuing his outstanding performance in his second year of debut.
Meanwhile, despite Bae Ji-hwan’s performance, Pittsburgh failed to surpass Milwaukee. In the ninth inning, he had a chance to have a full base with two outs, but Jason Delay struck out and fell to his knees 4-5. Pittsburgh, which lost four consecutive games due to the loss, had a season record of 34 wins and 34 losses. He was once the No. 1 player in the Central Division of the National League, but fell to third place.